Child-resistant packaging

A bottle of aspirin with a child resistant cap bearing the instruction "push down and turn to open"

Child-resistant packaging or C-R packaging is special packaging used to reduce the risk of children ingesting dangerous items. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications,[1][2] pesticides, and household chemicals.[3] In some jurisdictions, unit packaging such as blister packs is also regulated for child safety.[4]

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated in a press release that "There is no such thing as child-proof packaging. So you shouldn't think of packaging as your primary line of defense. Rather, you should think of packaging, even child-resistant packaging, as your last line of defense."[5]

Child-resistant packaging can be a problem for some aged individuals or people with disabilities.[9][10][11] Regulations require designs to be tested to verify that most adults can access the package. Some jurisdictions allow pharmacists to provide medications in non CR packages when there are no children in the same house.

The regulations are based on protocols of performance tests of packages with actual children, to determine if the packages can be opened. More recently, additional package testing is used to determine if aged individuals or people with disabilities have the ability to open the same packages.[12]

Often the C-R requirements are met by package closures which require two dissimilar motions for opening. Hundreds of package designs are available for packagers to consider.